t, though he has had to pay dear for the best policy.
I do not read his books, but I have a great admiration for him. The
public feeling is so strong against him that crowds of the populace
rush about the streets pushing, howling, and screaming at the top of
their lungs, "_Conspuez Zola!_" which I cannot translate in other
words than, "Spit on Zola!" Mrs. Lawrence and I met a mob while
driving through the Place de la Concorde, and a more absurd exhibition
of vindictiveness cannot be imagined.

Poor Zola has been condemned to pay a fine of--how much do you think?
Twenty-five thousand francs! He would not or could not pay. The
authorities put all his worldly goods, which they valued at twenty
thousand francs, up at auction, and went, on the day of the sale,
belted with their official scarfes and armed with pretentions, and
commenced the farce of the auction. An old kitchen table was the first
thing to be sold. Two francs were offered. "Going, going, go--!" when
a voice struck in, "_Twenty-five thousand francs._" This sudden turn
nonplussed the authorities. The auction was called off and came to an
untimely end because no one knew exactly what to do.

_May, 1900._

Dear ----,--The opening of the Exposition was a grand affair. I never
saw so many people under one roof as there were yesterday at the Salle
des Fetes. The order in the streets was something wonderful. The
police managed the enormous crowd as if it had been composed of so
many tin soldiers.

The ladies of the Diplomatic Corps and the wives of the foreign
commissioners sat with Madame Loubet in a tribune, on very hard
benches. The President stood on a raised platform overlooking the
multitude, surrounded by his Ministers, his official suite, and the
Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers in full uniform. It was a most
brilliant sight.

M. Loubet made his speech in as loud a voice as he could command, but
I doubt if it was very audible. Several orchestras played before and
after the speeches.

Since then I have been many times to the Exposition, and the only
fault I can find with it so far is that it is too enormous; but I
admire the cleverness of the architects, who have brought Paris into
the middle of it and made it a part of it. Both sides of the Seine are
utilized in the most practical manner.

Every country has its own superb building in the rue des Nations.
Frederick is the _commisaire_ from Denmark. The Danish Pavilion is the
first to be finished an